Josh Ellis

Background

Josh has been with MPC since 2006. He directs MPC’s sustainability initiatives, most notably in the fields of Stormwater Mitigation and Water Supply Management. Through on-the-ground initiatives like the Milwaukee Avenue Green Development Corridor, technical assistance to the Northwest Water Planning Alliance, and facilitation of diverse stakeholder groups—such as the Calumet Stormwater Collaborative—he leads MPC's multiple strategies to sustainably manage Illinois' finite water resources and reduce the harmful impacts of stormwater.

Josh is a member of the Midwest Leadership Council of the National Parks Conservation Association, the Cook County Sustainability Advisory Council, and the advisory committee exploring the future of the Chicago Area Waterway System. He is President of the Board at PODER, which serves adult immigrants with a mission to provide the necessary academic tools to promote human dignity, increase employment potential, and facilitate participation in the larger community.

Articles

The Calumet Stormwater Collaborative, facilitated by the Metropolitan Planning Council, has been working toward systemic stormwater management solutions since April 2014. Monthly meetings have enabled the Collaborative to identify the challenges and opportunities related to managing the region's…

It's been about a year since Asian carp hit the news in a big way. Here in the Chicago region our most notorious invasive species may have slipped from the front pages, but elsewhere in the broader Great Lakes region they are still very much on people's minds. Fortunately for everyone involved,…

Think for a moment about what our region could be in 2040. More transit choices? Doable. Safer neighborhoods? Possible. Cleaner water? Sure, if we work at it. Whatever our goals for tomorrow and the future, we need a plan to get there. Fortunately for northeastern Illinois, we now have one –…

The Chicago River has been in the public eye in the past few weeks, a spotlight it too rarely enjoys. First, the Obama Adminstration came down on the side of disinfection; Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley subsequently reiterated his ongoing support enhanced treatment and a cleaner river. Asian carp…

MPC and Openlands, both longtime advocates for sustainable water supply management, have released Before the Wells Run Dry: Ensuring Sustainable Water Supplies in Illinois, a joint report with recommendations for improving local and regional water supply planning and conservation strategies across…

Helping create competitive, equitable, and sustainable communities

For more than 80 years, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) has made the Chicago region a better place to live and work by partnering with businesses, communities and governments to address the area's toughest planning and development challenges. MPC works to solve today's urgent problems while consistently thinking ahead to prepare the region for the needs of tomorrow. Read more about our work »